Absolutely Ridiculous
by SherlockingTheHobbitsToAsgard
Summary: A series of snapshots in the lives of Pavel Chekov and the rather lovely new Lieutenant aboard the Enterprise.
1. First

"Captain?" Jim turned, ready to politely tell whoever had interrupted him to go away when he saw who it was. A woman stood in front of him, still wearing her red academy uniform, her eyebrows raised expectantly. She was young, probably in her mid-twenties, with straight brown hair and intelligent brown eyes. She stood ramrod straight, academy fresh, with a PADD tucked under her arm. She had a strong voice, English by the sound of it, and her tone was professional and determined. Out of instinct, Jim gave her his best smirk and raised his eyebrows.

"Helloooo." He greeted smoothly and behind him, he could hear Bones tut exhaustedly, muttering something to Sulu. The woman however didn't seem fazed. She handed him the PADD and saluted him when her hand was free.

"I am McCaffery, Evangeline. D, I've been assigned to the Enterprise." She stated in a rehearsed manner. Jim, a bit put off that she'd ignored his attempt at flirting, studied the PADD with her credentials on it.

"Excellent, and what is your area of expertise?" He asked as he read her information, taking note of her past experiences and her merits at Starfleet Academy.

"I studied Earth Linguistics at the London Academy before my services were required here." She told him and Jim looked up interestedly, his intent of flirting with her gone now.

"Earth Linguistics? You are aware that Starfleet operates in space?" He said with a smirk. Evangeline gave him a slight grin, telling him she'd understood his joke.

"Yes, of course, Captain." She told him, her blank face settling into a softer, more human expression. "I am here if you need to communicate with other ships from different countries where Starfleet operates." Behind the Captain, an Ensign who had been listening to their conversation snorted derisively.

"Couldn't we just use a translator?" He said rudely and Jim turned to him, ready to reprimand the man.

"Now, Ensign, that's not-"

"What? The translator that _I_ developed?" Evangeline spoke up, her eyebrows raised at the red shirted man. She shrugged, her nose scrunched up. "I could, but seeing as how the machines were developed by me in the first place, we could just cut out the middle man and use me." Jim laughed and even Bones had to admit he was impressed by this woman's ability to shame the Ensign, who turned back to his work station like a scolded puppy.

"You developed our translator?" Sulu asked, impressed by her abilities. Evangeline turned her attention back to the pilot and gave him an abashed smile.

"And all the other translators onboard the ships." She told him, blushing slightly at their looks of admiration.

"So you have a background in engineering as well?" Jim inquired. She nodded, a lot happier to talk about the change of subject.

"My mum's an engineer and she taught me everything she knows." She said proudly. Jim's attention was momentarily averted to Chekov who had brought over stats for him to check over before they left. Bones crossed his arms, taking over the conversation while the captain was busy.

"And you're also in Linguistics?" He asked, impressed by her range of abilities. Evangeline nodded,

"Yes, I speak French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and-" Chekov's head shot up, his attention captured.

"вы говорите на русском?" He asked the woman who looked at him in surprise, noticing him for the first time, before she smiled pleasantly.

"Да, это приятно встретиться с вами." She replied, and he was surprised that her pronunciation was so good. She was a few inches shorter than him and about the same age, her voice was kind and her smile made him blush. He turned away from the Captain and faced her properly, holding out his hand.

"Это я приятно встретиться с вами, чтобы, меня зовут Pavel Chekov." He greeted happily and she shook him warmly by the hand.

"Evangeline McCaffery." She introduced herself in return, smiling brightly at the young man. Jim clapped a hand down on Chekov's shoulder proudly.

"Chekov's our navigator. Chekov, this is Lieutenant McCaffery, our new head of Earth Linguistics and also part time engineer." When Evie's brow furrowed at the Captain he smiled kindly. "You'll work below deck as an Engineer until we need you for your true calling." He told her and Evie's eyes widened excitedly.

"Really?" She gasped, her grin nearly reaching her ears. Chekov felt a funny tingle in his chest as he studied her bright expression and frowned, putting the feeling to the back of his mind to revisit later. He turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.

"If you don't mind." Jim was saying and Evangeline shook her head.

"No, that's fantastic, thank you. I actually know someone in engineering who I haven't seen in a while so it'd be great to see him aga-"

"Angie?" A voice called from the hyper lift door. They all turned to see Scotty standing in the doorway, a look of complete shock on his face. Evie's expression hardened and she stepped forward so they stood like two gunmen in an old cowboy film.

"Alright, ya balding Scotch git?" She said lowly, jutting her chin. Scotty crossed his arms, widening his stance.

"Alright, ya short-arse English prat." He replied. They stared at each other a moment longer, Jim, Bones, Sulu and Chekov looking on worriedly, before Evie's face broke into a grin. She walked forward and threw her arms around his neck, starting to laugh.

"Oh, I have missed you." She said warmly as Scotty chuckled and wrapped his arms around, lifting her off of the ground.

"I've missed you too, Angie." Kirk stared at the two, his thick eyebrows knitted together in a frown.

"What just happened..?" He asked anyone. They had just been insulting each other and now they were laughing and hugging? Sulu leaned to the side to speak to the captain whilst not taking his eyes off the two.

"They're British, sir." He told him. Jim nodded.

"Ah."


	2. Here To Talk To You

"Someone's here to talk to you, Lieutenant." Ensign Lee called lazily up to her. Evie raised her eyebrows, not moving her attention away from the circuit board in front of her.

"Well, could you as politely as you can, tell them to fuck off, please, because I'm busy." She called down exasperatedly to the uncaring Ensign. Then she narrowed her eyes and looked down at the Ensign from her perch. "As should you be." She added suspiciously and the woman shrugged, gesturing for someone to come forward.

"That's a little rude considering as I came all the way down here to see you." A new voice called up and Evie gasped, tugging off her goggles so she could see clearer.

"Pavel!" She cried and the Russian grinned up at her. She swung her other leg over the metal bar so she could talk to him properly, an apologetic smile on her face. "Oh, I'm so sorry! You don't have to fuck off, that was me being cross, I'm sorry." Pavel's grin grew even wider and he shook his head.

"It's okay, I-" But Evie's attention was elsewhere. She had, from her prime position high in the rafters, spotted a group of engineers standing around chatting when they should be working. She glanced down at Pavel and raised a hand.

"Hang on a sec, I just need to tell some ensigns to sling their collective hook." She told him and stood on her precarious platform. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled across the room. "Oi!" Evangeline called down to the slacking Ensigns. "Stop arsin' around and get a move on." She told them sternly. They immediately hurried back to their work, scattering like dandelion seeds in the wind. Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Big girl's blouses." She muttered to herself as she sat back down.

"Looks like you have your work cut out for you." Chekov noted, his arms crossed over his chest. His yellow shirt made him stand out amongst the numerous red shirts and the myriad of silver machinery, like a sunflower in a poppy field. Evie slid down from her seat in a way that Chekov thought extremely dangerous. He watched nervously as she wobbled across the beams and then down a ladder, landing on her feet with a soft thud, beaming happily.

"Oh, no, it's great fun down here." She said sarcastically. "I could never get tired of yelling at lazy ensigns and getting electric shocks and doing so much running about, I think I'm actually developing a muscle..." She paused and smirked. "Actually, I tell a lie, I love all those things." She corrected herself. But she frowned suddenly, her lip twisted. "Apart from the exercise bit." She pretended to shudder. "Ew." Chekov laughed.


	3. What Are You Doing Here?

"What are you doing here, Lieutenant?" Kirk asked her wearily. Evie held his gaze for a moment before sighing and turning back stare at the wall.

"Honestly, I have no idea. They just sort of just invented a job for me and stuck me in the crew awkwardly." She told him. James raised his eyebrows,

"They?"

"My God-Father mostly." Evie replied. She turned back to face him. "Christopher Pike. I understand you knew him quite well." She saw Kirk's features freeze.

"Yeah, he was... He was sort of like a father to me." He told her quietly, the memory of Pike's death was still raw in his mind. Evie thought for a moment,

"Does that make you my God-Brother?" She asked and Kirk was saved from his thoughts. He smiled,

"I guess it does." He replied with a nod. Evie nodded back,

"Cool." She said. She turned back to the window and sighed. "I used to think it would be so cool to go into space when I was a kid." She told him, her voice soft as she spoke about her childhood. "My parents didn't really listen though; my dad wanted me to concentrate on being a Linguistics teacher like him. I guess Chris listened though. He promised me that one day, he would get me on a Star Ship so I could see the universe." She raised her hands and grinned at him. "And he did." She said happily. "I thought he would've forgotten but a few days after he died, I got a letter telling me that I would be training to join Starfleet. I had to finish my Linguistics training first but as soon as I passed my exams, I was learning all the ins and outs of a Star Ship. And here I am." Jim nodded his understanding.

"That's why you have linguistics and engineering under your belt." He realised.

"Yep, the only thing I was good at was engineering so they put me in those classes. That was mostly down to my mum. She owned a garage back home so I could take an engine apart and put it back together by the time I was ten." She said proudly. "It didn't take me long to catch up which is why I was only there for two years."

"Well, I think you'll fit in wonderfully."


	4. Unsure

Evangeline Daisy McCaffery was unsure of a lot of things. For example: she wasn't sure about space. Space was very large, complicated and dangerous while she was very small, straightforward and would only hit you if you were being annoying. She and space just did not get on because of a matter of principle.

Another thing that Evangeline Daisy McCaffery was unsure of was her reason for being on the USS Enterprise when she really had no proper purpose onboard and, as was made clear earlier, her and space did not get on. She knew that before he died, Pike was determined to get her on a star ship but for what reason? She was in linguistics, yes, but Earth linguistics. She was in no way useful up in the beautiful, starry death trap that she would call home for the next 5 years. She wondered momentarily whether helping Mr. Scott in the engine room was her sole purpose aboard and the only reason she was still here.

There were lots of things that Evangeline Daisy McCaffery was unsure of. However, there was one thing that she was definitely, one hundred percent, completely and utterly certain of. And that was that Pavel Andreievich Chekov sounded sexy as fuck when he spoke Russian. It was starting to become a problem. She'd be happily talking with the captain or hurrying around the warp core when bam! It hits her like a truck and she's powerless.

It's not even the language itself. She's heard tons of people speaking Russian and is fluent in the language herself. What knocks her legs out from under her is the way in which he speaks Russian. It's like Chekov manages to change personalities completely. He was still the same adorable guy but with ten times the confidence. Something about speaking in his native language made him a lot more self-assured and at ease. Not to mention that his voice suddenly became stronger, deeper and huskier. If sex had a voice, it would be his.

The worst part was the way he said her name. The 'v' was difficult for him to pronounce with his accent, among the other foreign words he had to concentrate hard on. However, whenever he spoke to her in Russian, the words came easily and her name with them. And when he looked at her with big hazel eyes and his lip curled in a smirk, he made her once elegant name sound like a sin. This made her want to shove him against a wall and kiss him senseless.

Evangeline Daisy McCaffery was unsure about a lot of things, but the sexiness of her colleague and friend was definitely one thing she didn't need to question.


	5. Iron Giant

"What have you got against phasers anyway?" Chekov asked. Evie made a disgusted face as she turned the cold metal weapon over in her hands.

"It's not just phasers; it's all weapons, especially guns." She told him as she warily placed the gun down on the seat next to him, watching it skittishly as if it might go off any second. Chekov took it and placed the phaser back in its holster.

"Why?" He pressed. Evie sighed and watched him for a few moments. Eventually, she crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one leg so her hip was to the side.

"Did you ever see the Iron Giant?" She asked him. Chekov frowned and smiled sceptically.

"The what?" Evie sat down on the table behind her and clasped her hands together. She leaned forward so she could speak to him quietly.

"It's a film from ages ago but I watched it when I was little." She said. "It's about a giant metal man who falls to Earth in the 1950s and this kid finds him and sorta teaches him how to talk and act." She cleared her throat and sniffed in a nonchalant manner before continuing. She didn't look at him as she spoke; she was staring at the space beside. He thought perhaps that she was a little embarrassed by what she was admitting."Then one day, they're out in the woods and they see this deer get shot by hunters and the kid has to teach him about death and killing. He has to teach him the difference and he says killing is bad but dying is not so bad because everything dies eventually." She waved a hand. "Anyway, the army finds out about him and they try to kill the giant because they think he's a weapon, a threat. They fire everything they have at it and the giant goes into defensive mode. It doesn't want to, but it's sort of like an instinct thing. It starts destroying all the tanks and ships firing at it but the kid gets past all the soldiers and talks to the giant." She paused for a moment, trying to remember exactly what the boy said. After a moment, he thought he saw her eyes brighten as the memory reappeared. "And he says... 'It's bad to kill. Guns kill. And you don't have to be a gun. You are what you choose to be. You choose. Choose.' And... It just stuck with me... I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to kill."


	6. Argument

Evie hammered her fists on the metal door insistently until she heard a voice from the other side. A few very rude, very loud Russian swear words were shouted and then a thump could be heard.

"Have you just fallen out of bed, you elegant bastard." She muttered to herself. After another minute's swearing and shouting, the door slid open to reveal Pavel Andreievich Chekov, ensign on the USS Enterprise, with his shirt on backwards.

"Evie!" he cried. "What are you-"

"You idiot." She scolded him. "Where the hell have you been?" Chekov stared at her.

"I'm sorry?" He replied shortly, a quirk of a smile on his lips, trying to diffuse the angry glare she wore. And to be honest, it was working. How rude of him to look so bloody adorable and sexy at the same time with his messy hair and raspy voice. She swallowed hard and forced herself to look him in the eye and not let her gaze drift down to his red, parted lips...

"You- You should've been to see Doctor McCoy two days ago." Chekov groaned and rubbed his face with one hand.

"You sound like my mother." He grumbled and Evie narrowed her eyes at him.

"I wouldn't have to if you did what you were told." She said, slightly miffed that she'd been likened to his mother but still set on making sure he turned up where he was supposed to. Chekov leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms.

"Fine, I will go! Happy?" He said, but he wasn't really angry. He liked that she worried about him. He liked that she cared.

"Thank you!" She replied, mocking his tone with a small grin. She paused for a moment and looked down at her suddenly very interesting shoes. "I'm just worried about you." She explained hesitantly. "What if you get ill with some sort of space disease or-"

"Evie, I will be fine. I don't ever leave this ship." Chekov interrupted her, grinning so widely that Evie's focus was captured momentarily by a dimple by his mouth. Her eyes flicked between the infuriatingly distracting dimple and his eyes.

"Still..." She murmured distractedly. Chekov straightened up and took a step towards her, his adorable smile still in place.

"I am honoured that of all the people aboard this ship, you choose to care about me, Miss. Evangeline McCaffery." He said quietly. Eve met his eyes for a moment before she couldn't stand it any longer. She looked back down at the floor and punched his arm lightly in an awkward attempt at a companionable gesture.

"You're shirt's on backwards." She told him, smiling at the floor. He looked down at his uniform and grumbled in Russian.

"Oh, sorry." He apologised uselessly. She looked up just as he started to pull the shirt over his head. Her eyes raked over his slim waist and slightly muscled stomach. She followed the trail of light hair down from his navel to the top of his trousers. From there, she could see his hip bones protruding deliciously under his pale, flawless skin. With a groan she tore her eyes away and stomped down the corridor.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" She cried exasperatedly. Chekov finished turning his shirt around and stepped out into the corridor, watching her walk away.

"What? Evie! What did I do?" He cried. She turned a corner and he raised his arms in the air. "Eve!" When she didn't come back he sighed and walked back into his room. "Oy, women."


	7. Funny Sort Of Day

"Alright?" Evie greeted brightly. Chekov glanced her way briefly before he turned back to staring down to the depths of the Engine Room.

"I'm a bit tired but, yes, I'm alright." He replied exhaustedly. He looked up again when he heard her breathe a laugh. "What?"

"Oh, it's just, where I'm from, 'alright?' is like another way of saying hello." She told him, still smiling brightly. "We don't really expect an answer." Chekov suddenly felt really stupid, a feeling that didn't crop up to often in his life.

"Oh, sorry." He mumbled and turned back to view. Evie shrugged and turned around so her back was leaning against the metal bars, her arms crossed casually.

"No problem, my Russian pally." She said airily. "It's an odd culture and if you haven't grown up with it, you've got no chance." She turned her head and her eyes grew serious. "Don't even get me started on bus queues." She warned jokingly. Then her eyes sort of glazed over and a slight buzz of real anger crossed her face. "Or Freddos." She added bitterly. Then she shook her head and smiled at the Ensign who hadn't turned around and wasn't laughing at her wonderfully sculpted humour. She cleared her throat and in a mock condescending tone, she said, "I feel like I should point out that this malodorous conversation is a vain attempt to cheer you up." Chekov sighed and tapped his fingers agitatedly on the metal bar he was leaning on.

"I'm fine, Evie." He told her. Evie snorted and looked away from his frustrated face. She wasn't used to this side of him, usually he was bright, bubbly Chekov who everyone adored but now he was serious and tired and angry. She didn't know how to approach the problem so she decided humour might be the best way to go.

"Pavel, I'm not a psychologist so you should probably take this with a grain of salt, but when someone says 'I'm fine' in a voice like they've just stubbed their toe and been made to listen to a Klingon singing for an hour, it's usually a sign that they're not 'fine'." Chekov finally smiled, even giving a small laugh at her comment which made the tight knot of worry in Evie's chest loosen a little.

"I'll be alright." He said, his tone considerably lighter than before. "Believe it or not, just listening to you talking is making me feel better." He told her with his eyebrows raised. Evie snorted again and turned back to looking straight ahead of her.

"Enemies firing at us, a disengaged warp core, antigravity, a new captain lady and a broken thumb..." She waved her hand with the broken digit and smiled dreamily. "It's been a funny sort of day, hasn't it?"


	8. Selfish

"Call me selfish but I always wanted to be important." Evie said suddenly. She was attempting to make conversation but all she did was make Scotty look up and gave her a funny look. She waved her hands to quickly dispel Scotty getting the wrong end of the stick. "Not, like, a Queen or a hero or anything, just..." Her face grew serious as she thought about it some more. "I just wanted to be important for making a difference to the world." Scott sighed and wiped his hands on a greasy cloth slung over one shoulder.

"Everyone has the potential to make a difference. You just have to think about what kind of difference you have the ability to make and whether it will be good or bad." He told her, surprising Evie with his philosophical words. Evie chewed this over for a moment before she said,

"I just want to make people see things the way I do. To see that you should be nice to people even if you don't want to be and you should respect people and think about how lucky you are and to be sentimental and to see the world and the stars and the universe and know how ridiculously big it all is." She shrugged. "I don't know, it's stupid." Scotty groaned as he stood up and ambled over to her.

"It's not stupid." He said honestly. "Everyone wants other people to see the world the way they do. For example, I think sandwiches should be free, Keenser should be tested and engineers should get more credit, but you can't change the world by wishing it so. You've got to do something about it. Otherwise you're just sitting around complaining to your mate when you could be up on the flight deck spending time with that lad of yours." Evangeline narrowed her eyes at him.

"He's not _my_ lad." She said coldly. Scotty shrugged,

"Then change the world." He said simply, as if it was no big feat to accomplish. "Make him yours." Evangeline shook her head,

"I don't-"

"Trust me." Scotty interrupted, smiling brightly. Evangeline realised that she'd never seen her friend so serious before. In all the time she'd known him, he had been a grumpy, sarcastic wonderful man. Granted, he still had these qualities but he seemed to have gained a sense of world-weariness while he was away. Perhaps, a part of him had grown up a bit. This she knew was a bit if a long shot but she liked the idea that every so often, when it mattered, Scotty could be a person to talk to when she needed him.

"I do." She replied softly. He nodded once and gripped her shoulders.

"Good. Now move your arse." Well, maybe he hasn't changed that much.


	9. Stars

"You know... My mum told me once that there are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand on all the beaches in all the Earth... And I never quite believed her." She smiled fondly at the memory and pressed one hand against the cool glass, trying to touch the stars. "And then I came out here and..." She raised her other hand and gestured ineffectively. Chekov moved to stand beside her and leaned his elbows on the windowsill, mirroring her.

"It is like when they first tell you that the Earth is moving, no?" He said, watching her carefully. "And you do not believe it until you come up here and see for yourself..." He trailed off as he gazed back out into the vast emptiness of space. Compared to what was out there, he felt tiny and unimportant. His life was just one of thousands of millions of billions of... There was an endless, innumerable amount of life out there in the dark. One couldn't help but feel small.

"I take back everything I ever said about space." Evie said quietly, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Seeing this... It's the most..." She frowned, lost for words. Chekov smiled and nudged her shoulder with his.

"Marvellous?" He guessed, the word tricky on his tongue. Eve thought about it.

"Marvellous?" She asked herself aloud. Then she nodded and smiled back at him, sending his stomach into knots. "Marvellous." She agreed. "The most marvellous thing anyone could ever hope to see." Chekov smirked and turned back to the window. He thought of her shining brown eyes, her soft hair, her radiant smile...

_'I can think of something even better.'  
_  
Evie turned to him and raised her eyebrows curiously. "What?" She asked. Chekov blanched and backed away from the windowsill. Panic surged through him; he thought he'd said it in his head. Дерьмо, now she wanted to know what he had meant.

"Nothing." He spluttered, but Evie wasn't having any of it.

"What, c'mon, tell me!" She demanded, a grin forming on her face. Chekov raised his hands,

"It is nothing!" He protested. He started to move away slowly and she followed. Suddenly, his eyes sparked at the idea of a challenge. Eve's expression showed the same determination and childish playfulness that accompanied the prospect of a game. He took another step backwards and she turned away from the window, following him. She moved just as slowly and carefully as he did, like two leopards on the prowl. Suddenly, Evie lunged for him but he jumped away and sped down the corridor.

"Pavel!" She cried, chasing after him. Chekov let out a breathless and perfectly joyful laugh as he hurtled through the empty corridors.

"No!" He shouted back to her, jumping on one foot as he rounded a corner to keep himself upright. They continued this chase for a good 5 minutes before Chekov, skidding around another corner, bumped straight into the captain. Kirk let out an 'oof' as he and the young ensign collided. Chekov took a surprised step back, apologising profusely to his captain but he was cut off as Evie rounded the same corner and thudded into his back, making him crash into the poor captain once more.

* * *

"I did something stupid." Chekov said worriedly to his friend. Sulu glanced across at Pavel quickly before turning back to his station, not liking the anguished expression on the navigator's face.

"Oh, God." He muttered to himself.

"How could the wonder kid possibly do anything stupid?" Bones grumbled sarcastically as he walked away from their station. Chekov ignored the doctor's ironic lack of bedside manner and scooted closer to his friend.

"Evangeline and I were looking at the stars and she said she had never seen anything more marvellous and I..." He trailed off, suddenly embarrassed at his own actions. This unfortunately peaked Sulu's interest and he turned from his station to face the Russian.

"You..?" Chekov closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands.

"I said I can think of something better... Meaning her." He mumbled. Sulu was surprised and let out a cry of shock, confusion and ultimately amusement. When Chekov showed his face again, his cheeks were bright pink.

"I didn't mean to, it just slipped out!" He protested.

"That sounds promising." Said a voice from behind them. They both turned to see their captain leaning forward in his chair, eyebrows arched suggestively and a curious smirk on his lips. Apparently, their supposedly quiet conversation had escalated and Jim was all too happy to stick his nose in. Sulu looked back at Chekov and asked,

"What did she say?"

"She didn't understand what I meant and wanted to know what was more marvellous than the stars." He said, glancing at his captain nervously as he spoke. "I said nothing but she chased me and that's where you caught us, Keptain." Realisation dawned on Jim's face and he frowned thoughtfully.

"Oh, what, you and Eva? I thought you guys were already together." He said, smirking cheekily. Sulu laughed,

"He wishes." He teased and Chekov hit his shoulder.

"Shut up, we are not together and I do not wish to be." He hissed, his face now bright red.

"Then why are you complementing her and then coming to me to worrying about it?" Sulu argued. Chekov coughed and spluttered his way through a clever retort.

"I just- I-" The captain laughed and clapped a hand down on the ensign's shoulder.

"Good luck, Chekov. You're gonna need it with a girl as nuts as Evangeline."


	10. Distracting

"You can be very distracting." Chekov admitted wryly. Evangeline's eyes widened and she bit her thumb nail nervously.

"I can?" One side of Chekov's mouth tipped up in a smirk. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I know I'm loud, it's just-"

"Nyet, it is good distracting." Chekov interrupted her. _Very_ good distracting. Her hair was caramel brown and it reached the middle of her back, dead straight but there was always a strand or two out of place. Her eyes were intelligent and honest and a lovely hazel-brown colour. She had a few faint freckles that could only be seen up close and her skin was softly tanned from the hot weather she'd told him about in England at the moment. She wasn't tall or short but average and she wasn't thin either. She had strong arms and legs and a bit of a belly with gorgeous curves. Her wide hips swung when she walked. She always chewed on the inside of her cheek when she was thinking and she had a surprisingly inappropriate sense of humour. Her laugh was loud and sometimes ridiculous and she was sarcastic more often than not. He liked how she would fidget when she was bored: drumming her fingernails on every available surface; whistling expertly; tapping her feet and pulling the sleeves of her black undershirt over her knuckles, stretching them out. She was, to him, wonderful, and he liked that she always smiled when she saw him.

"What do you mean?" Evie asked with a frown.

"Well, when you are thinking hard, you bite your bottom lip which is..." Suddenly, the image of Eve sitting at her station flashed into his mind. He watched her teeth sliding over her bottom lip agonizingly slowly. Then it was his teeth pulling at her lip. He pressed her against the panel as she moaned his name. Her hands were in his hair and his tongue- Pavel cleared his throat and desperately tried to focus on Evangeline's curious face. "And you have a very loud laugh." He added, trying to cover up his inner turmoil. Evie covered her face with her hands and groaned.

"Oh, I know, it's so embarrassing, I'm sorry." She apologised, and when she showed her face again, her cheeks were bright red. Chekov laughed at her expression,

"Nyet, it is good thing." He reassured her. "It means you are happy and you don't care who knows it." Evangeline gave him a surprised yet somewhat pleased smile and Pavel had to secretly pinch his arm to get himself to concentrate. "And the most distracting thing..." Evie cocked her head on one side and Chekov seriously regretted starting this conversation. "Oy..." he groaned. "When I say something that pleases you or impresses you, which I hope is often because it seems I spend all of my time trying to impress you-" Eve's lips parted in a disbelieving smile at his admittance. She thought it was adorable that he tried to impress her. What upset her was that he didn't see that it was working. "You always smile at me. But it's different to your normal smile, this one is special." The tips of his ears went bright pink and he ducked his head, shuffling his feet. "I don't know, you're just... It's wonderful because I feel like it's only for me. It's stupid, but-"

"It's not stupid." She told him quickly. Chekov looked back up at her and furrowed his brow. "Pavel, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." She said quietly, smiling at him gently. Chekov grinned at her and shook his head,

"Now that I highly doubt." He said with a small laugh; however the pinkness in his cheeks said he had enjoyed her words.

"Why?" She asked. Pavel shrugged carelessly and slid his fingers across the touch screen.

"You are a very beautiful lady from a country where gentlemen shower you with gifts and lovely words every day." Evangeline chuckled and raised her eyebrows,

"I don't know where you think I'm from because that's definitely not what my life is like." She told him, smiling sadly. Chekov was silent for a moment, watching her work.

"Well, it's what you deserve." He said eventually. Her eyes flicked back to him and he jutted his chin proudly. "A man who does not treat you like a lady is not a true man." He saw emotion flash in Evie's dark brown eyes and she opened her mouth to reply but her PADD beeped. She sighed and checked it before looking back at him and smiling apologetically.

"See ya later, Mr. Chekov." She said and turned with a smirk, her hair fanning out as she span around.

"Until then, Miss. McCaffery." He called after her. He stared as she walked across the bridge, watching her hair swish, her shapely legs, her arse-

"Stop it." Sulu muttered as he walked past. Chekov averted his gaze quickly,

"Черт возьми!" He swore.


	11. Party

"What about you, what did you get?" Evie asked. Scotty smiled and held up his file.

"Party goer." He declared happily. Evie nodded approvingly,

"Fab, what di'ya get me?" She asked. Scotty raised his other hand and showed her own file.

"Also a party goer." He told her. Evie grinned,

"Re-sult!" She cried happily, taking the folder from him and eagerly flicking through it. Scotty smiled as he watched her.

"You'll be accompanying the handsome Pavel Chekov." He added as an afterthought. Evie's hands froze and her head shot up, her eyes wide.

"Pavel!" She repeated, absolutely shocked. Scotty looked taken aback.

"I thought you'd like that." He said defensively.

* * *

"This... Is not gonna work." Evie murmured as she pulled at the hem of her dress distractedly. Chekov had his hands shoved deep in his pockets, looking a thousand times more relaxed than Evie felt.

"It will! Don't worry!" He reassured her with an easy smile. Evie looked up and gave him a quizzical half smile.

"Why are you so excited?" She asked, readjusting the strap of the bag on her shoulder. Chekov laughed,

"It's a party, c'mon, you've got to be a bit excited." He said happily, looking at her with expectant wide eyes. The fact that the only reason they were attending the party was because they were trying to catch a certain intergalactic pirate had seemed to have slipped the navigator's mind. Evie looked back ahead of her and shrugged, unconvinced.

"Eh, I was never big on parties." She told him truthfully. Chekov raised an eyebrow and Evie nearly blushed at the cheeky smirk/grin thing he was giving her.

"Can't hold your alcohol?" He teased and Evie scoffed,

"Is that a challenge, wonder boy?" She retorted haughtily. Chekov shrugged, not giving anything away,

"Maybe." Evangeline rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder.

"Sweetie, I grew up in South West London, I could drink you under the table." She informed him smugly. Pavel only smirked again.

"We'll see." He promised, then his smug persona vanished to be replaced by his usual sweet smile. "You look very lovely tonight." He said quietly but earnestly. When Evie looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes, he misinterpreted it as shock. "Of course, you look lovely every night." He quickly added, his cool act completely gone now and in its place was her usual flustered young man. "And every day! I mean, uh, you-er-" Evie smiled,

"Pavel-" She interjected, trying to stop him from continuing his ramble, when he said something unexpected.

"You are beautiful." He blurted out, biting his lip furiously and running a hand through his curls. She looked up and finally got a good look at his eyes. Honestly, he was always moving so quickly that his features were usually just a blur. She could finally see just how blue they were. They were dark, an odd navy-grey colour which, if she was honest, she found herself pretty enthralled by. And they were so big, so wide and expressive, she found herself lost in a sea of blue. She'd read stories where people's eyes were described as warm and, although she'd never met anyone with 'warm' eyes before, she thought Pavel Chekov's were about as close as you could get. How odd that such dark eyes could express such cordiality. Evie's expression fell from amusement to disbelief before she smiled up at him,

"Thank you." She said quietly and Chekov felt actual butterflies swarm his stomach. He smiled queasily back at her and Evie swept her hand up and down, gesturing to his outfit. "And whatever this is that you're wearing." She said with a grin. "I Iike it." Chekov felt his nerves disappear again as they slipped back into an easy conversation.

"It's my special academy uniform." He said, whispering as if it were a secret to make her laugh. "Sharp, yes?" He said proudly, lifting up the jacket pockets and raising his eyebrows.

"Very sharp." Evie replied, laughing at his antics, glad that he had relaxed once more. She slipped her arm through his and guided him towards the brightly lit entrance to the hall. "So," She propositioned. "On a scale of 'eh' to 'fuck', how badly do you reckon this'll go tonight?"


	12. Starrify

"Hey, Pavel, you're off duty now, right?" Evie checked and Chekov nodded.

"Yes, why?" He asked, warily regarding the way she held her hands behind her back. What was she hiding? And how badly was it going to affect him? Evie grinned, mischief sparking in her eyes.

"Wanna help me do something that may or may not be slightly against the rules?" She asked temptingly and Chekov was momentarily distracted by the way she bit her lip so it took a while for him to reply.

"May or may not be?" He repeated slowly, worried about where she was going with this. Evie shrugged her shoulders.

"Only a bit." She told him. She raised one hand, the other still behind her back, and held her thumb and finger an inch apart. "Like, a little bit." She grinned and nudged his arm. "I dunno, I'm not the one who's read the rule book." Chekov sighed in mock exasperation.

"I haven't read the rule book." He droned for the hundredth time and Evie laughed. Chekov scrutinised her face uncertainly. On the one hand, whatever she had planned might be against the rules and might even get them in trouble. But on the other hand... The look of utter excitement on her face was so charming that he really couldn't resist. He'd be lying to himself if he said that her proposition didn't intrigue him. Chekov sighed and raised his eyebrows expectantly. "What did you have in mind?" He asked, giving in to curiosity. Evie grinned and finally revealed what she'd been holding behind her back. In her hand was a plastic bag full of glow in the dark stars of all different sizes. From her pocket, she pulled out a few sheets of pair, dotted with double-backed sticky spots. Chekov looked from the bag to Evie's beaming face.

"We're going to starrify my ceiling." She said excitedly, her abundance of enthusiasm igniting the same feeling within himself. She tilted her head to the right and then back again in a carefree way. "And yours too, if you fancy it." She added. Chekov grinned.

Pavel didn't fancy having his ceiling starrified, however he did take Evie up on her offer to decorate her own room. That's why a few minutes later, Chekov found himself standing on a ladder (borrowed from the engine room) sticking glow in the dark stars to Evie's ceiling.


	13. Sir

"He is not 'sir'." She turned briefly to Roberts and shook her head. "You are not 'sir'." She turned back to the Ensign and pointed her pen at his chest. "If anyone is 'sir', I am 'sir'. Now, bugger off." She finished, waving her hand dismissively and turning back to her PADD.

Evie put her hands on her hips and watched Ensign Roberts wobbling about on the ladder with a look of utter disbelief on her face. "Ensign, you can't possibly-"

"It's fine, lieutenant, I won't break anything." The man replied condescendingly. Evie crossed her arms. This man really was an idiot.

"You better not, those extension gears are dead expensive." She replied. Roberts looked down at her with a frown.

"I was talking about me." He called down, offended. Evie took a few steps forward and shrugged.

"Well, if you're stupid enough to try something that obviously won't work, then it's your own fault really, innit." She told him, pouting her lips indifferently. The Ensign sighed and turned back to his work, the ladder creaking slightly.

"It won't go wrong." He assured her. Evie snorted,

"It will." Roberts let out a frustrated sigh as he turned the last bolt.

"It won't, trust m-" The ladder slipped out from under him and the Ensign fell screaming to the ground. It wasn't a long drop and Evie knew he was going to be alright so she chose this moment to point at him and yell,

"I fucking knew it!"

* * *

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I'm sorry." The Ensign wailed as various medical people buzzed around him.

"It's okay, I'm not really angry." She called over the din. Roberts shook his head.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." He cried as one nurse jabbed a hypo into his neck. Evie shrugged,

"Don't be daft; a lot of people don't listen to me." She replied. Roberts opened his eyes and raised his head off of his pillow to look her dead in the eye.

"Yes, but you're my superior and you had my best interests at heart and I was too wrapped up trying to make you think I was clever to care." He explained before wailing as another wave of pain washed over him. Evie smiled slightly. She liked that her ensigns were trying to impress her, even if they were stupid enough to not listen to her in the first place.

"It's okay, happens to the best of us." She stayed there with him for the rest of the night. Ensign Roberts was never rude to her again.


	14. Transmission

"We've got an incoming transmission!" Sulu called to Jim, who leapt out of his chair. He listened intently to the voice, trying to work out who it was. His eyes suddenly widened and he flew to Sulu's side.

"It's Evangeline!" He cried. He watched Sulu's fingers skitter over keys and on his right, Chekov trying to hone in on the signal to make it clearer. "Can we get a picture?" He requested.

"No, sir, just audio." Sulu said in a regretful tone as he glanced at Chekov. He knew how Evangeline's disappearance was killing him. Jim groaned in frustration,

"Turn it up!" He ordered and Chekov managed to isolate the transmission.

"Hello?" Evangeline's voice came over the intercom, echoing throughout the deck. "Can anyone hear me?"

"Yes, Evangeline, we can hear you, hold on!" Replied Kirk as he jumped back to his seat, sending a warm smile to Uhura. But Evangeline's reply was still desperate and pleading,

"Hello? Please, anyone!"

"She can't hear us, Captain." Sulu realised and Jim bit the inside of his cheek.

"Track the signal." He ordered and Chekov immediately started to work, faster than he'd ever gone before. He felt excitement build up in his chest. Even if she couldn't hear them, God it was good to hear her voice again.

"Hello?" Her voice still called out to the bridge, growing hushed and more desperate. "Please, please answer me." She begged.

"Chekov, go help Scotty with the transmission feeds." Jim called to the Ensign who was reluctant to leave his post. He hadn't heard her voice for so long and if he went down to the engine room, he wouldn't be able to listen.

"Aye, Keptain." He mumbled as he unwillingly moved towards the hyper lift. A hand on his chest stopped him before he got any further.

"Bring up the transmission on your PADD, she might be able to give you more information if you listen." Kirk told him kindly and Chekov beamed up at him with new found vigour.

"Aye, sir." He responded before dashing across the room, pulling out his PADD as he went.

"Hello?" Evie called, her voice now quiet and fearful. "Please, is there anyone out there?" She asked again. Chekov swallowed hard as he worked, his ears straining to hear her over the hum of the engines. "Please, I'm scared."

"Hang on, Evie, I'm coming for you." He muttered as he tweaked the wires. Scotty gave a raucous cheer of joy from the other side of the circuit board.

"Captain, we've fixed the transmission feeds, all signals should be back online." He shouted into his communicator.

"I've started to track the signal." Sulu informed the Captain back on the bridge.

"Good work, Lieutenants." Kirk praised, smiling widely at the thought of returning his crew safely. "Can we reply to her yet?" He asked Chekov through his communicator. Chekov picked up the device and tucked it under his chin so he could work and talk at the same time.

"Not yet, sir, I'm working on it, believe me." He mumbled, twisting and pulling wires. If only Evie was here, she was the expert at this kind of thing. He needed her more than ever. He looked over at his PADD, his hands frozen, as Evangeline began to talk again.

"No one's out there, you're being stupid." She chided herself exasperatedly. Chekov's chest felt tight as he imagined her all alone on some god forsaken planet thinking that no one could hear her cry for help. "And now you're talking to yourself, great." Kirk rubbed a hand over his face frustratedly. It felt awful being able to hear her but not reply. He wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be fine when she thought she was alone. Pavel sighed and went back to his work, hissing as one of the wires shocked his fingers. He shook out his hand before diving right back in. "Pavel?" A soft voice called out. Chekov removed his head from the circuit board and looked around. It was then that he realised it was Evangeline talking to him. He moved over to his PADD and sat down at the table it was resting on. Scotty looked over at him, his lip twisted empathetically. He quickly moved out of earshot, leaving the ensign and Angie alone. "Pavel, if you can hear this... I miss you." Said Evangeline softly. "Like, properly, out of this world, heart wrenchingly miss you." Up on the bridge everyone stopped their work to listen to the girl. Chekov sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. God, he missed her too.

"You always managed to make me laugh, even when I was feeling sad... Especially when I was feeling sad." Continued Evangeline and he heard her give a hollow chuckle. "I could really do with someone to talk to down here." She muttered and he could picture her, leaning against a wall with her knees drawn up to her chest, her communicator her only hope of rescue. "I need a good laugh." She murmured. There was silence for a moment and Chekov thought perhaps she'd turned off the transmission but she started to speak again, her voice stronger than before.

"I may as well admit it to myself and the emptiness of this transmission." She ventured, and though her voice was stronger, he could hear the exhaustion in her tone, fuelling her words. "Pavel, I need you." She said at last, and Chekov felt his heart plummet inside his chest. He forgot about his job, he forgot about the Enterprise, he forgot about everyone on the bridge who could also hear her. The world around him was silent apart from one voice, the voice of his angel. "I need you more than anything. I need you here with me, to hold me and to tell me that everything is going to be okay because I don't know that it is." Her voice cracked and Chekov's throat tightened, his stomach clenching. His breathing became a strangled whimper. He missed her so much, it felt like a part of him had gone with her and to know that she needed him in the same way that he needed her was heartbreaking. "I just know that if you were here, I could do anything." She admitted, her voice turning dreamy as Pavel swallowed thickly, blinking back tears. He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands and struggled not to cry. "With you by my side, I could lead an army into battle or paint a masterpiece or... Perhaps even go into space..." She finished and Chekov lifted his head, staring at the PADD screen as if it were really her. "And work on a Star ship... And not be afraid." He watched her voice spike up and down on his screen, the closest he had been to her in so long and felt his heart tear in two. "Yeah, this is stupid." He heard her mutter. She sighed and when she spoke again, her voice was stern and professional, a stark contrast to how emotional she had sounded before. "This is Lieutenant Evangeline McCaffery signing off." She stated. "Laters, empty void of space." There was silence on the bridge for a moment as everyone took in what they had heard. They all felt rude for having listened in on such a personal moment and Kirk hesitantly raised his communicator.

"You get that, Ensign." He asked quietly. Chekov sat very still for a while, gathering his thoughts and bottling his feelings so that he wouldn't break down in front if his captain. He picked up his communicator and gritted his teeth.

"Aye, sir." He mumbled, not trusting his voice not to wobble if he said anymore words.

"We'll get her back, I promise, Chekov."


	15. Arrival

The bridge shook and lurched, sending anyone who was unfortunate enough to be standing, sprawling across the floor. Jim held firm to the back of his chair as he watched his ship rocket through the asteroid belt. Chekov entered from the turbo lift and was immediately sent flying as Sulu careered them around another enormous rock.

"Mr. Sulu!" Jim warned the navigator, his voice trembling with the vibrations running through the ship. Sulu couldn't look away from the screen so he shouted back to the captain,

"We can't risk damaging the hull!" If one of these asteroids hit them hard enough, the ship would be torn apart. But if they turned around, their crew would be abandoned. Jim had to make a hard decision now. This was one of things he feared most about being captain, the choices he had to make.

"Mr. Sulu, turn us around!" He ordered. He couldn't risk the crew he already had onboard for the possibility of survivors. Sulu looked torn as he moved to steer the ship in the opposite direction but Chekov stumbled towards the captain and grabbed his shoulder, turning him roughly to face him.

"And what about my Evangeline!" He yelled over the deafening noise of the groaning ship. Everyone (apart from Sulu) turned to look at the young ensign who, despite what was happening around him, looked embarrassed. "Evangeline. What about Evangeline." He corrected himself, his eyes never leaving the captain's. Jim was taken aback by the novelty of Chekov's actions. He had always been so respectful, never abandoning his orders, never questioning his captain. But now Pavel Chekov was showing his true colours, his true feelings and they burned with such ferocity that Jim nodded.

"Mr. Sulu, keep on-" The ship suddenly stopped rattling and levelled out. The fallen crew members struggled to their feet. Chekov's angry demeanour instantly changed and he was back to their usual wide eyed ensign. He shakily stepped forward to stand at his post, staring out the window at the planet below where Evangeline had been marooned. Sulu gave a huge sigh of relief and sat back in his chair, wiping a hand over his sweat-beaded brow.

"Captain, were out of the asteroid belt, the Enterprise is steadily orbiting." He breathed a shaky laugh. "We made it."


	16. Gappy

"C'mon, Gappy!" Zoe called. Chekov saw Evie wince at the name as she finished clearing up her mess. He caught her eye and raised an eyebrow.

"Gappy?" He asked with an amused expression on his face. Evie sighed and stuffed a screwdriver in her pocket.

"Yeah, it's my nickname." She said gloomily. Pavel laughed as Zoe grabbed the broken PADD her friend had been fixing and handed her a screw she'd missed.

"Why Gappy?" He asked. Evie looked up at him and he saw her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"It's short for 'Mind the Gap'." She said slowly. Zoe snorted and Pavel frowned at her questioningly.

"Why do you call her that?" He asked. Zoe grinned inanely.

"'Cause she's got a gap between her boobs." Zoe replied happily. Evie gasped, her mouth agape and her eyes bulging as she slammed her bag down in indignation.

"Zoe!" She cried, horrified that her friend would say such a thing. Zoe looked confused as to why Evie was angry.

"What? You do!" She cried and Pavel struggled to control his breathing. He saw Evie subconsciously cover her chest with her arms and had to grip the table for support.

"It's cleavage!" Evie argued and Chekov couldn't believe this was happening to him. He couldn't decide whether he was in heaven or hell. Zoe laughed at her friend's defensive posture.

"No one's cleavage is that big." She told Pavel who blushed furiously. Evie saw his expression and groaned frustratedly.

"Could we not discuss my boobs in front of company?" Evie hissed and Chekov had to stifle a very different sort of groan. Zoe shrugged, gesturing to Pavel.

"It's just Chekov, he's basically your boyfriend anyway." Zoe said, nonplussed by her friend's indignation. Chekov looked up just in time to see Evie's face turn bright red.

"He's my friend!" She retorted before turning from the table and stomping off out of the canteen. Zoe turned to Pavel and raised her eyebrows and a hand before jogging after her friend. Pavel smiled weakly back until she was out of sight then he groaned and let his forehead drop with a thud onto the table.


	17. Give It Back

"Give if back." Chekov said, his hand outstretched, his palm open. Evie put the pen to her lips thoughtfully for a moment before shaking her head.

"Um, no, I think I'll keep it." Chekov smiled slightly but stepped forward, trying to get his pen back. Evangeline moved her hand away, hiding it behind her back with a cheeky grin.

"Evie." Chekov groaned. He made another grab for it but she quickly moved it away. "Evie!" He tried to get around her but all attempts failed. Evie laughed and stepped backwards, her back pressed against the wall. Chekov grabbed for the pen but Evie moved her hand up above her head. Chekov's hand followed hers and he stepped closed in one smooth movement. He was looking up at her outstretched hand, concentrating on the pen but Evie's attention was elsewhere. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open slightly in surprise as she realised how close Chekov's face was to hers. He was only perhaps an inch or two away, his chin jutted as he tried unsuccessfully to take back his pen, not noticing how close they were. She could feel his warm breath of her face, saw him biting back a grin as he struggled to steal back his pen.

When he realised he couldn't get to it, he looked back to her and nearly jumped. Her face was so close to his he could see the faint freckles on her cheeks, the shades of brown in her eyes and the little lines and soft indents on her lips. He felt his cheeks grow hot and he knew he was blushing. He eventually took a step back, out of her personal space and released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Evie quickly lowered her arm which was still held high above her head, keeping his pen out of reach. She held it out to him and Pavel took it cautiously, trying desperately not to let his fingers brush hers.


	18. Commmunicator

Evangeline settled her communicator on her beside table and called Chekov. She waited for a good few minutes before sighing. The communicator told her that Chekov, Pavel Andreievich was not with his communicator right now and she should try again later. She decided to leave him a voice message instead.

"Hello, Chekov. Uh, Pavel. Um... Oh, God, I've already messed this up." She didn't know why she was so nervous; she had no reason to be. Pavel was her friend and it's not like he'd just confessed his undying love for her... But it was pretty close. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the navigator. Even just thinking about him made her nervous and her tongue turn to rubber. "Um, hi. Yes, hi, good. Um. You... You said something to me tonight that's... That's rather knocked me off balance." She rambled. "Um... God, Evie, use your words." She chastised herself. She looked up as the loud, impolite buzz that acted as a doorbell sounded throughout her quarters. She sighed and looked back down at the device. "Hang on, there's someone at the door." She told it. She swung her legs around and jumped off the bed. She reached the door in no time due to her compact room and pressed the intercom button. "Hello?"

"Evie, it's me." Came the unmistakable voice of Pavel Chekov. Evangeline smiled then frowned then closed her eyes in exasperation, all in under 2 seconds.

"Oh, right, hang on a sec." She replied distractedly and quickly hurried back to her bed. She picked up the communicator that was still recording her uncoordinated message. "Um, I'll have to call you back." She said, biting her lip. "You're at the door." She added awkwardly, then switched off the communicator. She jogged back to the door and pressed the intercom button again.

"Pavel?" She asked to make sure he was still there. "Are- Are you alright?" There was a pause and Eve thought that perhaps he'd gone back to bed but after a moment, his thick accent could be heard crackling through the speaker.

"Can I come in?" He asked. Evie cleared her throat and nodded to nobody.

"Um, yes. Yeah, of course, yeah. Come in." She stumbled inelegantly over her words and pressed the button next to the intercom that opened the door. Chekov stood in the doorway with his hands knotted in front of him, smiling nervously. She stepped back and raised her to invite him in then closed the door behind him as he walked into her room.

"I wanted to talk to you." He said quietly once she'd turned to face him again. He was looking at his feet but she could see his face was drawn into an anxious frown. "What I said just now, I-"

"ALERT! ALERT! ALL OFFICERS TO THE BRIDGE!"


	19. Attack

"Oi! Muppet!" Evangeline called, making the man turn around, a thunderous expression on his face. She leaned back on her heels, her arms wide. "Come an' 'ave a go if you think you're 'ard enough!" She jeered before she turned and fled down the corridor. The man roared and chased after her, exactly to plan. Chekov heard Scotty stifle a laugh and turned to him, an eyebrow raised. Scotty saw his questioning expression and tried to calm down enough to speak to him.

"I was just thinking," He said, his grin still in place. "She's my friend, but she's your girlfriend."

* * *

"Shoot him!" Kirk bellowed as he struggled to free his arm.

"I don't have anything _to shoot_!" Evie yelled back, not taking her eyes off the advancing man.

"Well, do _something_!" Jim pleaded, groaning as he wriggled his arm, trying to dislodge his limb. Evie looked around her, looking for something heavy. She let out a happy 'ha-hah' as she spotted something that might work. Just as the man reached her, she heaved the fire extinguisher up then down hard on his head. The man fell to the ground with a satisfying thud. Kirk pouted his lips thoughtfully. "Interesting solution." He said admiringly. "Unconventional but it seemed to do the job." Evie grinned and heaved the fire extinguisher around so she could turn to look at him, still stuck in the metal debris.

"Yeah, they're pretty hefty but they do the job." She appraised happily. She saw Jim's eyes focus on a spot behind her and she turned back round. Another man was running towards her. "Oh, fuck me!" She cried as she swung the fire extinguisher around. Jim smirked,

"I wish." He muttered. Evie heard him and glared at him over her shoulder,

"Shut it!" She cried angrily.


	20. Shoulder

"Ow! Bugger!" Evie cried, squeezing her eyes tight shut as another rush of pain shot through her body. Chekov gritted his teeth, hating that she was hurting.

"I'm sorry, sorry." He muttered, trying with all his might to make her better. The pain subsided slightly and Evie turned her head to Chekov who was studying her shoulder with a worried expression.

"Do you have any medical training?" She asked, although she already knew and feared the answer. Chekov glanced her way before he bit his lip thoughtfully.

"Strictly speaking, no." He replied, a frown creasing his forehead in a way Evie would have found incredibly adorable had she not been in excruciating pain. "But I know basically what I'm doing. Plus, I'm a genius remember." He grinned at her cheekily. "What could go wrong?" Evangeline felt her stomach disappear inside her but decided to react with anger rather than fear.

"You're not a genius, you're just- Ow, fuck!" More pain wracked her body, worse than before. Chekov tried desperately to grab her arm to keep it still so he could clearly see what he was doing. He was already ridiculously out of his depth; he at least wanted to do it accurately. But Evie struggled as she cried out again in pain.

"Hold still!" He cried, grappling with her arm.

"How can I hold still when you're sticking your bloody hands all over my bloody dislocated shoulder?!" She bellowed back, trying desperately not to scream. She clamped her teeth down on her lip to stop herself from crying out and tasted hot, metallic blood on her tongue.

"Just- just trust me, okay!" Chekov cried desperately. Evie looked across at him once more and saw that he was just as afraid as she was, the only difference being that he was trying to put his fear aside to focus on trying to save her. However, what she didn't see was how torn Chekov was trying to ignore her cries of pain. He hated to see her like this and was using all his might to focus and not crumble. Evangeline swallowed hard and their eyes met, his navy-grey eyes mirroring the pain and fear she felt.

"Okay." She whispered. Chekov kept her gaze for a moment longer before shaking himself and placing his hand above her shoulder.

"This is going to hurt." He admitted. He couldn't look at her; he knew that if he did, he wouldn't be able to go through with it. But he felt Evangeline's hand grip his free one, binging him reassurance and herself a rush of pleasure that worked almost like a pain killer.

"Do it." She said quietly, placing all her trust in him. Chekov squeezed her hand in thanks before he took a deep breath. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him twist his arm and then there was a blinding pain in her shoulder. She gasped sharply and squeezed her eyes shut as the pain slowly started to ebb.

"There, that should do it." She heard Chekov say, though she didn't know whether it was to her or himself. She opened her eyes and he was looking at her expectantly, a small, sweet smile on his face. "All better, no?" He asked. Evie breathed a sigh of relief and nodded,

"Much." She replied. Chekov's smile grew and so did hers. She froze suddenly when he reached up his free hand, his other still holding hers in a death grip, and ghosted his fingers across her cheek and down her neck. Evie hated herself for doing so, but she gulped. She closed her eyes slowly as his fingertips brushed her sensitive skin. For a moment, she thought she felt his hot breath near her mouth but a blinding light filled her vision and she blinked her eyes open again to find Scotty and Captain Charles standing in the doorway, relieved expressions on their faces.


	21. Speak For Earth

"I will speak for Earth. I will speak for mankind." Evie stated loudly, her voice unusually strong. She walked forward determinedly until she stepped up close to the Head of Court and suddenly her nerves came flooding back and she faltered slightly. "Well, womankind as well." She added awkwardly. She frowned thoughtfully. "People kind- You know what, I speak for humanity in general." She said finally, waving her hands about and smiling brightly. The Head of Court was staring at her worriedly and he leaned to the side slowly to quietly talk to his peers.

"Who is this?" Evie heard him and straightened her back, her chin jutted proudly.

"My name is Evangeline Daisy McCaffery, Lieutenant aboard the USS Enterprise." She stated firmly. The Head of Court leaned forward and peered down at her as if she were a bug in need of squashing.

"And what makes you think, _Lieutenant_ _McCaffery_, that you are worthy to speak in our court?" He asked her patronisingly and a few of his peers chuckled. Evie frowned at him but didn't let him intimidate her.

"Because I am the best example of a human there is." She stated simply. The Head of Court's eyebrows rose.

"You?" He repeated. He leaned back in his chair and let out a loud, raucous laugh that echoed throughout the room. Kirk looked up at the room teeming with senators and onlookers who joined in with the Head of Court's laughter. He swallowed nervously and ground his teeth while by his side, Pavel was watching Evie worriedly. She didn't react to the laughter even though it was at her expense and he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked as she glared fiercely back at the officials. She was so small in this room of thousands and yet she stood proud as a lioness. The Head of Court leaned forward in his chair and wiped away a tear of mirth from the corner of one grey eye. "The concept is laughable." He told her breathlessly. He raised two of his arms and gestured around the room. "Humans are an indigenous species compared to our great and bountiful empire but even they must be able to dredge up someone more important than you." He said vehemently. Evie stared blankly back at the politician but Chekov thought he saw her lip curl slightly in disgust.

"You know what?" She said exhaustedly, her stance relaxing. "Your definition of humans is very different to mine." The Head of Court raised his eyebrows again and pursed his lips interestedly.

"Is it now?" He mocked, earning him a few titters from his peers. Evie stared back at him defiantly.

"Yes. Yes, it is." She told him in a way that the Yultzans would find extremely rude. Women were seen and not heard in their culture and for a female of another species, no less, to step forward and talk to them with such defiance was extremely dangerous business. Kirk closed his eyes and crossed his fingers.

"Please don't do anything stupid." He begged softly.

"I understand where you're coming from." Evie said truthfully and the Head of Court's expression softened, though only slightly. "I mean, you look at Earth and you see the Monarchs and the politicians and the celebrities... And the captains." She added glancing back at Jim. "But they only make up, like, an eighth of the population." She said, holding her thumb and finger an inch apart to show how small the number was, one eye narrowed for effect. She took a few steps back and started to slowly walk the circumference of the court, addressing the whole room. "Think about all the normal people." She said. "People like me who had normal parents, normal jobs and not very much money and lived in little houses in little countries where not very much happened. And these little, normal people grow up knowing the value of money and strength and family. They go out into the world and join big companies, institutions run by big, important people employing other big, important people but they're mostly held together by little, normal people." She took a deep calming breath as her voice shook on her last word. She needed to keep her head, the only way these people were going to take her seriously was if she believed what she was saying and made a good argument. She had their attention, now she just had to keep it.

"These little, normal people spend their lives thinking they're unimportant and useless but they keep going. And they make friends and laugh and have fun and fall in love with other wonderfully normal, little people." She shrugged carelessly. "Sure these things happen to big, important people too but it doesn't mean as much to them because they just expect them to happen." She grinned and threw her arms wide. "And that's what makes the little, normal people so wonderfully, fantastically, incredibly important! Because they live these unspectacular lives that really are, actually, pretty bloody spectacular!" She cried and Chekov started to smile too. This was his Evangeline, the mad, joyful woman who was so excited about life and people and adventure and had such a weird, impractical yet wonderful way with words. This was her in her element. By now, Evie had walked full circle and was again standing before the Head of Court. She thought for a moment before furrowing her brow and jutting her chin.

"And I'm one of them." She said proudly. "And you know what?" She paused for a moment before waving a hand carelessly. "Fuck it, I am important." She decided. Then she rubbed her closed eyes frustratedly. "And I know that kind of fucks up my argument but the point still stands!" She declared. She stepped forward determinedly and matched the Head of Court's stern glare. "I am a human being. I am small. I am normal. And I am definitely worthy to stand before you today." Chekov felt his chest swell with pride at her words and he couldn't hold back his proud grin any longer. "I am importantly unimportant and if you think that's not worth anything then fine." She insisted. "But you're wrong. And if you continue to think that way you will always be wrong." She took a deep breath and when she spoke again, her voice was considerably softer. "So you have to choose now." She implored. She met the Head of Court's gaze steadily and nodded once. "Choose." She concluded strongly. There was silence throughout the court room as all eyes turned to the Head of Court to see his reaction to Evie's impressive speech. The Head of Court was gazing at her with new found respect in his old eyes. He raised a hand and the Enterprise crew all held their breath.

"Let her speak." He commanded and Evie let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.


	22. Finally

Chekov's head pounded. His legs and arms felt unbearably hot. His chest ached and burned when he struggled to breathe. He cracked his eyes open and groaned at the blinding light from the crash site. The ground was hard and sharp under his back and he realised that his clothes were ripped. Pavel turned his head to the side, looking for Evie and saw her lying on her back, her long hair in a messy halo around her scarred and bloodied face. He tried to reach out to her, his arm moving so much slower than he was used to. Every movement was a painful battle but he needed to reach her, to touch her.

"Evangeline... Aнгел..." He tried speaking, but his voice came out in a weak croak. She stirred gently and hissed in pain, pulling her arms down slowly from above her head to rest on her stomach. She turned her head to face him and her dark eyes burned in the flashing light.

"Pavel..." She croaked. A tear travelled down her dirt covered face. "I think I'm going to die." Pavel felt his stomach clench and his eyes burned. He stretched his fingers out and she mirrored his gesture, carefully gripping his hand. Pavel slowly pulled her the short distance to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Eve let out a sob as she gripped his uniform tightly in her fist. She buried her head into his chest, searching for his scent of snow and soap now marred by the rank stink of charred metal and debris.

"No, never. I'm going to protect you. I'm going to keep you safe. I'll never leave your side." He whispered into her hair, holding her tightly. She let out a shaky laugh and sniffed hard.

"I'd like that." She replied softly. Chekov pulled her even tighter against him and ducked his head to the crook of her neck. He closed his eyes and let himself get lost in her scent and her warmth.

"I love you, Evangeline." He whispered. There, he'd said it. Months of hiding it and finally he had told her. Although the end looked bleak for them, a weight he hadn't known was there was lifted from his chest. But when he got no reply, he felt the pressure start to make itself known again. "Evangeline?" He raised his head and saw she had her eyes closed. "No." He gently shook her but got no flicker of an eyelash, no parted lips, no movement at all. "No, Evie. No, please!" He brushed her hair away from her face and leaned her backwards so he could see her properly. A sob broke though his tight throat and he shook his head. "Wake up!" He begged. "Please, Evangeline, please wake up!" The light in front of his eyes was beginning to fade. The dark was closing in and he rested his head back down on the cold ground. He drifted off, whispering her name and trying not to let go of the love of his life.

* * *

White hot pain in his eyes. Chekov groaned and turned his head away from the piercing glare. His head swam and he tried to open his eyes. Eventually the blinding light faded away and Chekov's eyes began to focus. He could see shadowy forms moving around him, faint voices shouting and he could hear his and Evangeline's names being thrown about a lot. Were they angels? Was this Heaven? It's certainly not how he'd pictured it. With another groan he turned his head the other way and saw the faint image of Evie lying on a bed beside him. He knew it was her, but she looked colourless and sketchy. He tried to reach for her but he couldn't move his arms or legs. There was a sharp pain in his neck. Then, his body felt weightless and relaxed. The incessant shapes were fading and the white light was taking over his vision once more.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. . Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. . Beep. Beep.

What was that? Loud and annoying is what. Chekov groaned and covered his eyes with the back of one hand. Where was he? Oh, right Heaven.

"Oh, I see you're finally awake." A voice said. Hm, he knew that voice. Chekov slowly removed the hand from his eyes and raised his head. Doctor McCoy stood over him, writing down information from the machine that woke him up with its incessant noise. Ah, so he wasn't dead. If this was Heaven, Doctor Leonard McCoy certainly would not be here.

"Doctor McCoy?" He spoke and his throat felt like it was made of sandpaper. With a moan he tried to sit up but the Doctor gently pushed him back down again. "What happened?"

"We found you in the wreckage, barely alive." The doctor told him sombrely. "Got you back onboard and patched you up." That was what the shadowy forms had been, the doctors and nurses trying to save him. He took in a deep breath and filled his oxygen starved lungs. Everything ached. His head span relentlessly.

"How long have I been here?" He croaked. McCoy was fiddling with the machine he was hooked up to.

"A few days." He replied and Chekov's head fell back against the pillow. A few days. He had been found, treated and kept here for days. Had someone told his family? What about his friends, how were they? What about- Evangeline. Where was Evangeline? Chekov suddenly sat bolt upright in bed, making McCoy jump.

"Where is Evangeline?" He asked desperately. Bones' eyes widened and he moved around so that Chekov's view of the room was restricted.

"Oh, Chekov, I-"

"Is she alright?" Fear coursed through his veins. They had rescued him, had they rescue her? What if she was still down there?

"Chekov-" He suddenly remembered that what he'd seen. She'd been lying in the bed next to him. He peered around doctor McCoy and saw that the bed beside his was empty. New sheets had been placed on the bed and it hadn't been slept in for a long time. What happened? Was she dead? Had they been able to save her? Questions burst in his mind like fireworks.

"Where is she?" He demanded. The doctor raised his palms and tried to speak in a soothing voice.

"Ensign, I need you to calm down." But Chekov was determined. He pulled back his covers and jumped from the bed, luckily, he was still in his uniform. He sped past McCoy before he could grab him. He was out of the door in a flash with McCoy shouting after him. Pavel didn't know where he was running to; she wouldn't be in her room. He found himself on route to the bridge and kept going. He tore down the corridors and was painfully reminded of the time he and Evangeline had raced through these bright corridors. He could hear McCoy still chasing after him, shouting for him to stop. It didn't occur to him that it wasn't safe to be out of bed already, that he could get seriously hurt. All he cared about was her. He burst onto the bridge, panting and ruffled. He looked around the room, ignoring the surprised looks from the crew. He searched their faces, looking for her.

"Pavel?" A soft voice said from across the room. He looked around and saw her. Evangeline. Alive.

"Evangeline." He breathed. She dropped the folders she'd been holding and ran across the room to meet him, throwing her arms around his middle and holding him tight. Pavel breathed properly for the first time since he had awoken. The sounds of the bridge faded to nothing, he didn't even hear McCoy come bursting in through the door behind him, swearing and cursing about 'that damn Russian kid'. All he could feel was the warmth of Evie against his chest, the scent of her hair, the tight grip she had on him. She needed him just as much as he needed her. "You're safe... слава богу. слава богу..." He whispered into her hair, nuzzling the top of her head. She pulled back slightly so she could see his face.

"I was so worried about you." She told him, resting her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes as she stroked her thumb over his cheek gently and sighed, leaning into her hand.

"Me? I thought you were dead." He replied quietly. She shook her head sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Pavel." He opened his eyes and gripped her shoulders, holding her at arm's length. He was suddenly furious with her. Now he knew she was safe, he wanted to know why she'd been so idiotic.

"Why did you do it? Why did you follow me?" He demanded. She matched his glare and pushed his arms down.

"I couldn't leave you." She replied angrily. Chekov's eyes widened and he raised his arms, gesturing ineffectively.

"Evangeline, you could have been killed! Это было слишком рискованно!" Eve growled and balled her hands into fists.

"Как я сказал, я не мог оставить вас. Что? Ты думаешь я просто позволю тебе умереть одиноко и страшно?" She shouted back, switching to Russian also.

"Вы чуть не умер!" He cried. Evangeline rolled her eyes and jabbed his chest,

"Как и ты!" Chekov's brow furrowed,

"Я далеко не так важно как вы!" Evangeline's jaw fell open, astounded for a second. Then she groaned and crossed her arms,

"Теперь ты просто смешно!"

The rest of the bridge had paused in their work the moment Chekov had burst in. They were now watching the pair interestedly, the captain especially so. Jim leaned so the side and murmured to Spock,

"What are they arguing about?" Spock raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I do not know, Captain." He replied. "Lieutenant Uhura?" The woman pursed her lips.

"I only speak a little Russian, I'll try." She replied. They returned to the argument being held by the ship's youngest crew members.

"Как ты мог это сделать?" Chekov demanded and Nyota frowned in thought.

"Uh, that's how... 'How could'..." Her eyes widened with realisation. "Oh, he's probably asking 'how could you?'" Jim nodded,

"And what's she saying?" He asked. She turned back to the pair and concentrated hard on the difficult language.

"Я должен был!" Nyota squinted,

"Uh, I think that's 'I had to!'" She translated.

"Это было опасно! Вы не должны были делать этого!"

"Now he's saying... 'Danger'... 'It was dangerous'... 'Should not'... 'Should not have done it'." The others all murmured thoughtfully, commenting on the structural integrity of each side of the argument. Some where even placing bets. "She's saying..."

"Я должен был помочь им!"

"'Help'... She had to help us." Uhura told them, her voice faltering slightly as she realised just how brave their friends had been.

"Oh, I understand." Sulu said, smiling now that he knew the reason for the drama unfolding before them.

"What's he saying now?" Jim persisted, sure that his bet on Evie winning the argument was going to pay out. Uhura listened carefully to Chekov's words and noticed how neither of them seemed to be angry any more.

"Я просто хочу вас безопасным."

"'Safe'... He- He wants her safe." She said quietly. The murmuring began to quieten at her words and all the crew turned to listen to her translations.

"Есть ли у вас идеи, как много ты для меня?"

"Meaning? Is that meaning? How much she means... 'How much you mean to me.'" Nyota told them sadly. Suddenly, she felt like she was intruding in this conversation. There was a reason they'd converted to a different language. This was a private, intimate moment, like when she and Spock spoke in Vulcan.

"Woah, Chekov." Sulu breathed, surprised by his friend's words.

"And now?" McCoy asked, considerably less angry then he was earlier.

"Просто скажи мне!" Evangeline cried and took a step closer to Pavel.

"Tell... 'Just tell me.'" Uhura said. "She wants him to tell her properly?" Jim frowned,

"Tell her what?"

"Я влюблен в тебя!" Chekov cried. Silence fell over the bridge, interrupted only by the whirring of machinery and Evie's soft gasp. Uhura's mouth fell open and when she looked back at the crew, they saw that her eyes were wide with shock.

"Love... He's telling her he loves her." She said in a trembling voice. She looked back and saw that Evangeline wore the same expression she did. Evie's shoulders slumped, her eyes softened.

"С каких пор?" She asked softly.

"She's saying 'since when?'" Chekov swallowed hard and looked down at his feet.

"С начала." He said quietly. Nyota smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"'Since the beginning.'" She said quietly.

Evangeline shook her head, her lips parted in a smile as she took a step closer to him. He looked up hesitantly, worried that he'd said the wrong thing. Her smile grew at his expression and she placed a hand on the side of his face affectionately. Then suddenly she put her hand at the back of his neck, pulled his head down to hers and crushed her lips against his. Kirk grinned,

"Well, we all know what that means."


	23. Caught

She felt the primal growl build up in his chest, a sound that she had never thought possible to come from the adorable ensign, as he stepped forward and reached for her.

"We mustn't. Not here, where the guards could see." She hissed as his arms slid roughly around her waist, pulling her forward. She was finding it hard not to melt under his touch and the intense gaze of his dark blue eyes.

"Come with me." he murmured by her ear, making her shudder. He took her hand and pulled her away down the corridor. He took her, through the myriad corridors of the Enterprise, to the Engine Room. There he stopped, hand still clasped around hers, in a deserted corner of the enormous deck. They were hidden from view from anyone who would walk past unless they were to actually come down into the alcove where they were hidden, which she knew was very unlikely as this corner was for unexpected extra storage. With his hold on her hand, Pavel spun her around and backed her up against the metal mesh, his lips ravaging hers in a possessive kiss. Evie grabbed his shoulders and returned it with full force, her blood pumping hard from the threat of danger and Chekov's possessive manner towards her on the bridge. Chekov kissed down her jaw, making her gasp quietly, and then travelled agonisingly slowly downwards, his mouth marking her neck. She groaned into his shoulders, surprisingly sturdy and extremely bitable beneath her palms.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing! This is an Engine Room not the school bike shed!" Pavel jumped away from Evangeline as if he'd been electrocuted. Scotty stood at the entrance of their hideaway with his arms crossed and his eyebrows drawn into a deep frown.

"I'm sorry, Mister Scott, sir." Pavel apologised, his face red and his words falling over each other as they tumbled out of his mouth. While this was happening, Evie pushed herself off of the wall slowly with a dazed expression on her face. She was still on a high from how intense they had just gotten and how soft Chekov's lips were. She pulled at the hem of her uniform to straightened it out from where it had ridden up when Chekov had- She cleared her throat and tried not to grin. "We were just-"

"I know what you were doing." Scotty said, his eyes narrowed. Chekov opened his mouth to say something, anything, that would get them out of trouble. It was probably against the ship's rules to be caught doing what they had been doing. Were they in trouble? Scotty eyed Chekov's worried, sorry expression and Evangeline's still slightly dazed but trying to come across as apologetic look. He sighed and stepped to the side. "Get outta here, Romeo, before I tell the captain what you've been up to." He told Chekov wearily. Chekov grinned and nodded about a hundred times.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." He said quickly before he hurried past the head of engineering and out into the bright engine room. Just before he turned the corner, he turned on one heel and winked at her cheekily before he turned full circle and disappeared out of sight. Evie hid a giggle badly and stared after him. She could still feel his lips on her mouth, her neck, her chest. She knew she was going to get a few curious and knowing looks when people saw the red marks beginning to form on her body but she didn't care. She sighed happily and thought if that was what Chekov could make her feel in a hurried snog in a deserted Engine Room corridor, what would he be like tonight when she knocked on his door.

"And you can wipe that look of your face an' all, Dolly Daydream." Scotty's chastising tone broke through her thoughts. She coughed nonchalantly at followed Chekov's path out of the alcove.

"Sorry, right, back to work then." She said brightly and saluted the engineer with a wink. Scotty rolled his eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders, spinning her around and pushing her down the corridor.

"Aye, move your arse." He said gruffly but she heard the humour in his voice. He wasn't angry with her and Pavel, not really. She smiled at him and called over her shoulder as she walked down the corridor.

"Arse is in motion, sir!" Scotty watched her walk away for a moment before turning back towards the alcove where he'd discovered them. He thought about asking the captain for security cameras to be put in there or bright lights so nothing was hidden.

"Bloody kids." He muttered.


	24. Stories

"You don't like those stories?" Pavel asked, his eyebrows raised curiously as he moved around her to sit on the wooden chair by the bed. Evie twisted her mouth in thought, leaning back on her elbows on the bed and giving Pavel a very lovely view of stretched out body. He gulped and returned his wandering gaze to her face.

"It's not that I don't like them, I just don't want to hear about damsels in distress." She replied. "I mean, they're okay, everyone needs to be saved every once in a while, but it doesn't have to be the guideline for every story." She grinned deviously at him and swept her legs over the side of the bed, suddenly jumping up to stand on the mattress in one swift movement. "I want to read about brave women fighting pirates," she said, one arm behind her back and the other stretched forward, fighting an imaginary foe. "And going on incredible adventures. I want to hear about brave girls fighting for what's right in an epic battle and saving people's lives." She jumped suddenly and landed on her bum with a bounce of the bed. Pavel laughed at her antics and nodded approvingly.

"I like those stories too." He told her, smiling warmly and he watched as her eyes seemed to brighten at his words.


	25. So Close

Every hair on her body stood on end; her throat tightened; her muscles tensed and her chest ached all in anticipation because she wanted him to kiss her, to touch her, to hold her and he knew if too. And who was he to let her down? He crashed his lips to hers, his hands either side of her face, his mouth pressed to hers with an intense, bruising force. She grabbed the front of his shirt to keep her balance as he pushed her backwards up against the table. When the small of her back hit the metal, Pavel broke away from her fleetingly to pick her up by the waist and sit her on the table.

Her fingers coursed through his hair, sending shiver after shiver down Chekov's spine. His hands squeezed her waist, her ass, the sides of her thighs. He slid them over her soft skin and parted her legs. Evangeline broke away to gasp for air and found herself short of breath for an entirely different reason now. He stepped between her open legs and she felt his hips collide with hers. She groaned sinfully and pulled on his lip, their kisses now a mess of teeth and tongue. Evangeline wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him even closer against her.

She rolled her hips against his crotch and felt an extreme sense of self-satisfaction when Pavel's head lolled back, his mouth open in a groan and his eyes closed as his body was wracked with pleasure. She bent her head and started to bite and suck at the hollow of his neck earning her another groan. She smirked and ground her hips again, this time making Chekov meet her eyes and give her the most heart-stopping look.

His eyes were so dark, his pupils dilated. His lips were red and puffy from where she'd pulled on them hair was sticking up at odd angles; his usually unruly curls now a ridiculous mess. They were both panting so hard, they shared one breath. Chekov suddenly jumped away from her when they heard the door to the lab beep and swish open. Evangeline quickly closed her legs and pulled down the hem of her uniform but she didn't have enough time to jump down from the table. She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on her arms slightly to look more relaxed, just as Kirk walked in.

"Chekov! I've been looking for you everywhere, man." He greeted warmly. "You're needed up on the bridge." Pavel nodded once.

"Aye, sir." He replied and Evangeline tried not to smile at how hoarse and deep his voice was. The Captain noticed also and finally looked at the pair properly. He took in their rumpled clothes, red lips and guilty looks. A smirk slowly spread across his face and he turned to Evangeline who was trying not to blush. "Not interrupting anything, am I?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. Evangeline opened her mouth to reply but didn't know what to say. Chekov cleared his throat and walked past them.

"I'm needed on the bridge."


	26. Last

"Well, you are very intelligent." Chekov told her. Evie looked surprised.

"Eh?" She asked, pretty much proving his statement wrong.

"Although, it isn't always obvious." Chekov added, smiling wanly. She reached across and punched his arm.

"Oi!" Chekov laughed as he rubbed his shoulder.

"You're also very violent." He said and she rolled her eyes. "But you _are_ intelligent, very much so." He insisted earnestly. "You know so much but at the same time you can be relaxed and carefree. You can turn your brain off. I wish I could do that, I envy you." He looked sad for a moment and he started to toy with her shoelaces distractedly. "To be thinking non-stop, it's exhausting." He told her, his voice considerably softer than before. "I just wish I could stop thinking, just stop for a little while, you know?" Evie felt her heart ache for him. She couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of pressure that came with being a boy genius. Always thinking, always calculating, always switched on. It must be so tiring. He needed a way to shut his brain off, a way to escape. And she knew just the thing.

"Ensign Chekov, I need you to kiss me." She told him softly. Chekov looked up and smiled slowly. He nodded and leaned over her, his hands on her hips.

"I can do zat." He promised before he pressed his lips to hers.


End file.
